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Author Goto, Y.
Title Improved Vegetation Characterization and Freeze Statistics in a Regional Spectral Model for the Florida Citrus Farming Region Type $loc['typeManuscript']
Year 2008 Publication Abbreviated Journal
Volume Issue Pages
Keywords Ensemble Forecast, Climate Model
Abstract This study focused on the effective use of a numerical climate model for agriculture in Florida, especially in the citrus farming region of the Florida peninsula, because of the impact of agriculture to Florida's economy. For the analyses of the ensemble, the climate models used in this study were the FSU/COAPS Global Spectral Model and FSU/COAPS Regional Spectral Model (FSU/COAPS RSM) coupled with a land-surface model. The multi-convective scheme method and variable initial conditions were used for the ensembles. Severe freezes impacting agriculture in Florida were associated with some major climate patterns, such as El Niño and Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO). In the first part of this study, seasonal ensemble integrations of the regional model were examined for the tendencies of freezes in the Florida peninsula during each ENSO or NAO phase is examined. Mean excess values of minimum temperatures from thresholds on the basis of the Generalized Pareto Distribution (GPD), which represents the extreme data in a dataset, were used to analyze the freezes in the regional model. According to some previous studies, El Niño winters obtain fewer freezes than the other ENSO phases. Although the ensemble comprised only 19 winters, the ensemble found variability patterns in minimum temperatures in each climate phase similar to the findings in the previous studies which were based on the observed data. The FSU/COAPS RSM was coupled with Community Land Model 2.0 (CLM2), to represent the land-surface conditions. Although the coupling improved the temperature forecast of the RSM, it still has a cold bias and simulates smaller diurnal temperature changes than actually occur in southern Florida. Among the prescribed surface data, Leaf Area Index (LAI) for southern Florida in the CLM2 is lower than those observed by MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer). In the first experiment of this part, the sensitivity of the temperature forecast to the LAI in the climate models was investigated, by modifying the LAI data in the CLM2 based on the monthly MODIS observations. In the second experiment, newly created prescribed datasets of LAI and plant functional types for the CLM2 based on the MODIS observations were applied to the RSM. The substitution increased the diurnal temperature change in southern Florida slightly but almost consistently.
Address Department of Meteorology
Corporate Author Thesis $loc['Ph.D. thesis']
Publisher Florida State University
Place of Publication Tallahassee, FL
Editor
Language Summary Language Original Title
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN ISBN Medium
Area Expedition Conference
Funding Approved $loc['no']
Call Number COAPS @ mfield @
Serial 586
Permanent link to this record
Author Gouillon, F
Title Internal Wave Propagation and Numerically Induced Diapycnal Mixing in Oceanic General Circulation Models Type $loc['typeManuscript']
Year 2010 Publication Abbreviated Journal
Volume Issue Pages
Keywords spurious mixing, numerical modeling, internal wave, tide
Abstract Numerical ocean models have become powerful tools for providing a realistic view of the ocean state and for describing ocean processes that are difficult to observe. Recent improvements in model performance focus on simulating realistic ocean interior mixing rates, as ocean mixing is the main physical process that creates water masses and maintains their properties. Below the mixed layer, diapycnal mixing primarily arises from the breaking of internal waves, whose energy is largely supplied by winds and tides. This is particularly true in abyssal regions, where the barotropic tide interacts with rough topography and where high levels of diapycnal mixing have been recorded (e.g., the Hawaiian Archipelago). Many studies have discussed the representation of internal wave generation, propagation, and evolution in ocean numerical models. Expanding on these studies, this work seeks to better understand the representation of internal wave dynamics, energetics, and their associated mixing in several different classes of widely used ocean models (e.g., the HYbrid Coordinate Ocean Model, HYCOM; the Regional Ocean Modeling System, ROMS; and the MIT general circulation model, MITgcm). First, a multi-model study investigates the representation of internal waves for a wide spectrum of numerical choices, such as the horizontal and vertical resolution, the vertical coordinate, and the choice of the numerical advection scheme. Idealized configurations are compared to their corresponding analytical solutions. Some preliminary results of realistic baroclinic tidal simulations are shown for the Gulf of Mexico. Second, the spurious diapycnal mixing that exists in models with fixed vertical coordinates (i.e., geopotential and terrain following) is documented and quantified. This purely numerical error arises because, in fixed-coordinate models, the numerical framework cannot properly maintain the adiabatic properties of an advected water parcel. This unrealistic mixing of water masses can be a source of major error in both regional and global ocean models. We use the tracer flux method to compute the spurious diapycnal diffusivities for both a lockexchange scenario and a propagating internal wave field using all three models. Results for the lock exchange experiments are compared to the results of a recent study. Our results, obtained by using three different model classes, provide a comprehensive analysis of the impact of model resolution choice and numerical framework on the magnitude of the spurious diapycnal mixing and the representation of internal waves.
Address Department of Oceanography
Corporate Author Thesis $loc['Ph.D. thesis']
Publisher Florida State University
Place of Publication Tallahassee, FL
Editor
Language Summary Language Original Title
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN ISBN Medium
Area Expedition Conference
Funding Approved $loc['no']
Call Number COAPS @ mfield @
Serial 571
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Author Hite, M. M.
Title Vorticity-Based Detection of Tropical Cyclogenesis Type $loc['typeManuscript']
Year 2006 Publication Abbreviated Journal
Volume Issue Pages
Keywords Quikscat, Seawinds, Tropical Disturbance, Tropical Cyclogenesis, Vorticity
Abstract Ocean wind vectors from the SeaWinds scatterometer on QuikSCAT and GOES imagery are used to develop an objective technique that can detect and monitor tropical disturbances associated with the early stages of tropical cyclogenesis in the Atlantic basin. The technique is based on identification of surface vorticity and wind speed signatures that exceed certain threshold magnitudes, with vorticity averaged over an appropriate spatial scale. The threshold values applied herein are determined from the precursors of 15 tropical cyclones during the 1999-2004 Atlantic hurricane seasons using research-quality QuikSCAT data. Tropical disturbances are found for these cases within a range of 19 hours to 101 hours before classification as tropical cyclones by the National Hurricane Center (NHC). The 15 cases are further subdivided based upon their origination source (i.e., easterly wave, upper-level cut-off low, stagnant frontal zone, etc). Primary focus centers on the cases associated with tropical waves, since these waves account for approximately 63% of all Atlantic tropical cyclones. The detection technique illustrates the ability to track these tropical disturbances from near the coast of Africa. Analysis of the pre-tropical cyclone (TC) tracks for these cases depict stages, related to wind speed and precipitation, in the evolution of an easterly wave to tropical cyclone.
Address Department of Meteorology
Corporate Author Thesis $loc['Master's thesis']
Publisher Florida State University
Place of Publication Tallahassee, FL
Editor
Language Summary Language Original Title
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN ISBN Medium
Area Expedition Conference
Funding Approved $loc['no']
Call Number COAPS @ mfield @
Serial 616
Permanent link to this record
Author Griffin, J
Title Characterization of Errors in Various Moisture Roughness Length Parameterizations Type $loc['typeManuscript']
Year 2009 Publication Abbreviated Journal
Volume Issue Pages
Keywords Boundary Layer Meteorology, Roughness Length Parameterization, Moisture Roughness Lengths
Abstract Often the parameterization of the moisture roughness length is not seen as being important, as long as the parameterization seems reasonable; that is, it is within the rather considerable bounds of error for the data sets used to determine the parameterization. However, the choice of parameterization does influence height adjustments of humidity and calculations of turbulent heat fluxes. This paper focuses on the calculation of the turbulent heat fluxes using different parameterizations of roughness length. Five roughness length parameterizations are examined herein. These parameterizations include wall theory; the Clayson, Fairall, Curry parameterization; the Liu, Katsaros, Businger parameterization; Zilitinkevich et al. parameterization; and the COARE3.0 parameterization. Turbulent heat fluxes are calculated from each parameterization of the roughness length and are compared to observed turbulent heat flux values. The bulk latent heat flux estimates have a much better signal to noise ratio than the sensible heat fluxes, and are therefore the focus of the comparison to observations. This comparison indicates how to improve the proportionality in the above roughness length parameterizations, which are causing modeled turbulent heat flux magnitudes to be too large in four of the five parameterizations. The modeled turbulent heat fluxes are evaluated again after the modification of the parameterizations. Significant improvements in both the bias and the root mean square error (RMSE) are seen. Three parameterizations see roughly the same improvements of around 17Wm^-2 in the bias and roughly 10Wm^-2 in the RMSE. The largest improvements are in the Liu, Katsaros, Businger parameterization with bias improvements of over 45Wm^-2 and a RMSE reduction of nearly 32Wm^-2.
Address Department of Meteorology
Corporate Author Thesis $loc['Master's thesis']
Publisher Florida State University
Place of Publication Tallahassee, FL
Editor
Language Summary Language Original Title
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN ISBN Medium
Area Expedition Conference
Funding Approved $loc['no']
Call Number COAPS @ mfield @
Serial 603
Permanent link to this record
Author Guimond, S. R.
Title A diagnostic study of the effects of trough interactions on tropical cyclone QPF. Type $loc['typeManuscript']
Year 2007 Publication Abbreviated Journal
Volume Issue Pages
Keywords Satellites, Precipitation, Tropical Cyclones, Troughs
Abstract A composite study is presented analyzing the influence of upper-tropospheric troughs on the evolution of precipitation in twelve Atlantic tropical cyclones (TCs) between the years 2000 � 2005. The TRMM Multi-Satellite Precipitation Analysis (TMPA) is used to examine the enhancement of precipitation within a 24 h window centered on trough interaction (TI) time in a shear-vector relative coordinate system. Eddy angular momentum flux convergence (EFC) computed from European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) operational analyses is employed to objectively determine the initiation of a TI while adding insight, along with vertical wind shear, into the intensification of TC vortices. The relative roles of the dynamics (EFC and vertical wind shear) and thermodynamics (moist static energy potential) in TIs are outlined in the context of precipitation enhancement that provides quantitative insight into the “good trough”/“bad trough” paradigm. The largest precipitation rates and enhancements are found in the down-shear left quadrant of the storm, consistent with previous studies of convective asymmetries. Maximum mean enhancement values of 1.4 mm/h are found at the 200 km radius in the down-shear left quadrant. Results indicate that the largest precipitation enhancements occur with “medium” TIs; comprised of EFC values between 17 � 22 (m/s)/day and vertical wind shear Sensitivity tests on the upper vertical wind shear boundary reveal the importance of using the tropopause for wind shear computations when a TC enters mid-latitude regions. Changes in radial mean precipitation ranging from 29 � 40 % across all storm quadrants are found when using the tropopause as the upper boundary on the shear vector. Tests on the lower boundary using QuikSCAT ocean surface wind vectors expose large sensitivities on the precipitation ranging from 42 � 60 % indicating that the standard level of 850 hPa, outside of the boundary layer in most storms, is more physically reliable for computing vertical wind shear. These results should help to improve TC quantitative precipitation forecasting (QPF) as operational forecasters routinely rely on crude statistical methods and rules of thumb for forecasting TC precipitation.
Address Department of Meteorology
Corporate Author Thesis $loc['Master's thesis']
Publisher Florida State University
Place of Publication Tallahassee, FL
Editor
Language Summary Language Original Title
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN ISBN Medium
Area Expedition Conference
Funding NASA, OVWST
Approved $loc['no']
Call Number COAPS @ mfield @
Serial 610
Permanent link to this record
Author Guimond, S
Title Tropical Cyclone Inner-Core Dynamics: A Latent Heat Retrieval and Its Effects on Intensity and Structure Change; and the Impacts of Effective Diffusion on the Axisymmetrization Process Type $loc['typeManuscript']
Year 2010 Publication Abbreviated Journal
Volume Issue Pages
Keywords Hurricanes, Doppler Radar, Latent Heat, Axisymmetrization, Diffusion, Numerical Modeling
Abstract Despite the fact that latent heating in cloud systems drives many atmospheric circulations, including tropical cyclones, little is known of its magnitude and structure due in large part to inadequate observations. In this work, a reasonably high-resolution (2 km), four-dimensional airborne Doppler radar retrieval of the latent heat of condensation is presented for rapidly intensifying Hurricane Guillermo (1997). Several advancements in the retrieval algorithm are shown including: (1) analyzing the scheme within the dynamically consistent framework of a numerical model, (2) identifying algorithm sensitivities through the use of ancillary data sources and (3) developing a precipitation budget storage term parameterization. The determination of the saturation state is shown to be an important part of the algorithm for updrafts of ~ 5 m s-1 or less. The uncertainties in the magnitude of the retrieved heating are dominated by errors in the vertical velocity. Using a combination of error propagation and Monte Carlo uncertainty techniques, biases were found to be small, and randomly distributed errors in the heating magnitude were ~16 % for updrafts greater than 5 m s-1 and ~156 % for updrafts of 1 m s- 1. The impact of the retrievals is assessed by inserting the heating into realistic numerical simulations at 2 km resolution and comparing the generated wind structure to the Doppler radar observations of Guillermo. Results show that using the latent heat retrievals outperforms a simulation that relies on a state-of-the-art microphysics scheme (Reisner and Jeffery 2009), in terms of wind speed root-mean-square errors, explained variance and eye/eyewall structure. The incorrect transport of water vapor (a function of the sub-grid model and the numerical approximations to advection) and the restrictions on the magnitude of heat release that ensure the present model's stability are suggested as sources of error in the simulation without the retrievals. Motivated by the latent heat retrievals, the dynamics of vortex axisymmetrization from the perspective of thermal anomalies is investigated using an idealized, non-linear atmospheric model (HIGRAD). Attempts at reproducing the results of previous work (Nolan and Grasso 2003; NG03) revealed a discrepancy with the impacts of purely asymmetric forcing. While NG03 found that purely asymmetric heating led to a negligible, largely negative impact on the vortex intensification, in the present study the impacts of asymmetries are found to have an important, largely positive role. Absolute angular momentum budgets revealed that the essential difference between the present work and that of NG03 was the existence of a significant, axisymmetric secondary circulation in the basic-state vortex used in the HIGRAD simulations. This secondary circulation was larger than that present in NG03's simulations. The spin-up of the vortex caused by the asymmetric thermal anomalies was dominated by the axisymmetric fluxes of angular momentum at all times, indicating fundamentally different evolution of asymmetries in the presence of radial flow. Radial momentum budgets were performed to elucidate the mechanisms responsible for the formation of the physically significant secondary circulation. Results show that explicit (sub-grid) diffusion in the model was producing a gradient wind imbalance, which drives a radial inflow and associated secondary circulation in an attempt to re-gain balance. In addition, the production of vorticity anomalies from the asymmetric heating was found to be sensitive to the eddy diffusivity, with large differences between HIGRAD and the widely used WRF model for the exact same value of this uncertain parameter.
Address Department of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Science
Corporate Author Thesis $loc['Ph.D. thesis']
Publisher Florida State University
Place of Publication Tallahassee, FL
Editor
Language Summary Language Original Title
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN ISBN Medium
Area Expedition Conference
Funding Approved $loc['no']
Call Number COAPS @ mfield @
Serial 573
Permanent link to this record
Author Hughes, P. J.
Title North Atlantic Decadal Variability of Ocean Surface Fluxes Type $loc['typeManuscript']
Year 2006 Publication Abbreviated Journal
Volume Issue Pages
Keywords Decadal, North Atlantic, Sensible Heat Flux, Latent Heat Flux, Variability
Abstract The spatial and temporal variability of the surface turbulent heat fluxes over the North Atlantic is examined using the new objectively produced FSU3 monthly mean 1°x1° gridded wind and surface flux product for 1978-2003. The FSU3 product is constructed from in situ ship and buoy observations via a variational technique. A cost function based on weighted constraints is minimized in the process of determining the surface fluxes. The analysis focuses on a low frequency (basin wide) mode of variability where the latent and sensible heat flux anomalies transition from mainly positive to negative values around 1998. It is hypothesized that the longer time scale variability is linked to changes in the large scale circulation patterns possibly associated with the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO; Schlesinger and Ramankutty 1994, Kerr 2000). The changes in the surface heat fluxes are forced by fluctuations in the mean wind speed. Zonal averages show a clear dissimilarity between the turbulent heat fluxes and wind speed for 1982-1997 and 1998-2003 over the region extending from the equator to roughly 40°N. Larger values are associated with the earlier time period, coinciding with a cool phase of the AMO. The separation between the two time periods is much less evident for the humidity and air/sea temperature differences. The largest differences in the latent heat fluxes, between the two time periods, occur over the tropical, Gulf Stream, and higher latitude regions of the North Atlantic, with magnitudes exceeding 15 Wm-2. The largest sensible heat flux differences are limited to areas along the New England coast and poleward of 40°N.
Address Department of Meteorology
Corporate Author Thesis $loc['Master's thesis']
Publisher Florida State University
Place of Publication Tallahassee, FL
Editor
Language Summary Language Original Title
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN ISBN Medium
Area Expedition Conference
Funding NOAA, NSF
Approved $loc['no']
Call Number COAPS @ mfield @
Serial 617
Permanent link to this record
Author Jones, B.
Title Influence of Panamanian Wind Jets on the Southeast Intertropical Convergence Zone Type $loc['typeManuscript']
Year 2004 Publication Abbreviated Journal
Volume Issue Pages
Keywords Central American Wind Jets
Abstract Gridded QuikSCAT data has been used to show that a strong confluence zone of the Southeast Pacific Intertropical Convergence Zone (SITCZ) existed in 2000 � 2002 during boreal spring, and the Panama wind jet contributes to its variability. Time series analysis of winds off the Gulf of Panama and convergence advection into the Southern Hemisphere (from 80W to 95W) show these winds kept the SE Trades out of the Northern Hemisphere and created a confluent zone in the Southern Hemisphere. A monthly averaged SITCZ is maintained by the deceleration of the SE Trades that flow from warm water toward the equatorial cold tongue, creating a speed convergent zone south of the equator. Images of wind trajectories show zonally orientated SE Trade winds that were deflected from a divergent zone parallel to the coast of South America converge with more meridional Trades over warm waters. Panamanian winds crossed into the Southern Hemisphere to contribute to this convergence. It is hypothesized that this confluent zone can be intensified by the Panamanian winds. In 2002, the SITCZ confluent zone occurred with more intense Panamanian gap flow than the previous two years. Cross equatorial SE Trades wrapped anti-cyclonically around a divergent pocket in the Northern Hemisphere and became southward winds, which allowed the Panamanian winds to enter the Southern Hemisphere and intensify the SITCZ. Variability in the Panamanian winds makes a substantial contribution to the evolution of the SITCZ.
Address Department of Meteorology
Corporate Author Thesis $loc['Master's thesis']
Publisher Florida State University
Place of Publication Tallahassee, FL
Editor
Language Summary Language Original Title
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN ISBN Medium
Area Expedition Conference
Funding OSU, NASA, NSF
Approved $loc['no']
Call Number COAPS @ mfield @
Serial 623
Permanent link to this record
Author Kara, A. B.
Title A Fine Resolution Hybrid Coordinate Ocean Model (HYCOM) for the Black Sea with a New Solar Radiation Penetration Scheme Type $loc['typeManuscript']
Year 2003 Publication Abbreviated Journal
Volume Issue Pages
Keywords Solar Penetration, Ocean Circulation, Ocean Turbidity
Abstract
Address Department of Meteorology
Corporate Author Thesis $loc['Ph.D. thesis']
Publisher Florida State University
Place of Publication Tallahassee, FL
Editor
Language Summary Language Original Title
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN ISBN Medium
Area Expedition Conference
Funding Approved $loc['no']
Call Number COAPS @ mfield @
Serial 593
Permanent link to this record
Author Keeling, T. B.
Title Modified JMA ENSO Index and Its Improvements to ENSO Classification Type $loc['typeManuscript']
Year 2009 Publication Abbreviated Journal
Volume Issue Pages
Keywords
Abstract El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is a widely known phenomenon that affects many areas including the southeast United States. Over the southeast U.S. the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) ENSO index was modified to establish better classifications. In order to properly understand the effects of ENSO on this location a new approach was needed. Spatial resolution was improved by utilization of the PRISM dataset. PRISM provided monthly precipitation and temperature data over the contiguous US at 4 km resolution. Temporal resolution was improved by disregarding the traditional JMA definition of an ENSO year. The new definition requires six consecutive months of 0.5°C anomalies or larger to be listed as an ENSO event. By utilization of this definition, the ENSO index was modified to a monthly index from a yearly index. Many ENSO events begin in the summer months and end before the preceding September, therefore, an adoption of a monthly index is justified. Although several of the effects vary widely over the domain, there are a few prevalent patterns of ENSO effects. During warm phase, from November-April, wet conditions are seen in the coastal areas. July and August are both dry. From fall to spring, Florida and the Atlantic Coast are basically dry, however; the Mississippi River Valley doesn't appear wet as previous studies have indicted. Patterns of temperatures across the southeast are less variable than the precipitation. Differences between the ModJMA and JMA can be seen in several months, especially during late spring and early autumn. This result is not surprising based on the rigid definition of the JMA index. An interesting result presented itself throughout the study. Individual tropical storms can be identified with the increased resolution PRISM data provides. A state by state breakdown of the ModJMA conclusions provides regional summaries. The ModJMA better classifies ENSO periods and leads to a more precise impact of ENSO over the southeast United States.
Address Department of Meteorology
Corporate Author Thesis $loc['Master's thesis']
Publisher Florida State University
Place of Publication Tallahassee, FL
Editor
Language Summary Language Original Title
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN ISBN Medium
Area Expedition Conference
Funding Approved $loc['no']
Call Number COAPS @ mfield @
Serial 604
Permanent link to this record
